Germany: Thomas de Maiziere Interior minister calls for curbs

Germany: Thomas de Maiziere Interior minister calls for curbs

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The German Interior Minister, Thomas de Maiziere, has called for a partial ban on the burka, a day after saying a full ban might not be constitutional.

He said the burka did not fit in with Germany’s open society and revealing the face was vital to social coherence.

“We call on everyone to show their face,” he said.

The proposition would prevent anyone from wearing the veil in nursery schools, universities, schools, public offices or while driving.

It needs parliamentary approval.

What exactly is happening in Germany?

The Islamic veil across Europe

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition has been divided over the issue after several assaults in

Germany claimed by so called Islamic State (IS) and amid record amounts of Muslim asylum seekers.

“It does not fit in with our open society. Showing the face is a constituent component the way we live, for our communicating, our societal cohesion. That is why we call on everyone to reveal their face.”

He included: “Whoever wants to work in public service cannot do so while wearing the complete veil.”

There are no official figures on the amount of girls wearing the burka in Germany but leader of its Central

Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, has said hardly any women wear it, Reuters news agency reports.

A study completed in 2009 by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, and reported by Spiegel magazine, found that more than two thirds of Muslim girls in Germany did not wear a headscarf.